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Research paper : Realization of a collaboration system for everyone to develop and manage (K. Eto et al.)−95 Synthesiology - English edition Vol.1 No.2 (2008) with a philosophy that closely resembled our proposal. We call Wiki’s design philosophy “communication patterns”[7][8], and we present it in the next chapter, and also discuss the design philosophy of qwikWeb.4.1.2 “Communication patterns” - Wiki’s design philosophyThe philosophy of pattern language[9] proposed by architect Christopher Alexander is reflected in Wiki. Pattern language is a summary of language-like expression of architectural forms that appear repeatedly in architecture. This enables the user of buildings to participate in the design process, which is expected to result in good architecture. In 1987, Wiki developer Ward Cunningham became interested in pattern language, and tried to apply it to software from the perspective of user participation in design. Several patterns were extracted as user interface, and it became possible to design excellent software in relatively short time by providing these patterns to users[10]. This experiment developed into a large movement for creating design patterns that served as common language among developers[11]. Cunningham used HyperCard launched in 1987 from Apple Inc., and created the browser to record and edit the discovered patterns[12]. This pattern browser later grew into Wiki. Wiki was originally developed as a base for recording and editing pattern language.In 1995, Cunningham recreated the pattern browser as a system on web based on the contents accumulated so far, and called it WikiWikiWeb. This was the origin of Wiki. The greatest difference between the pattern browser on HyperCard and Wiki was the real time connection to the Internet. Wiki was no longer merely a place to accumulate information, but also became a place to discuss accumulated information.In general, a system used for communication is managed by organizing information into some uniform format. A typical example is the bulletin board. An article is stored by breaking it down into several items such as author’s name, date, document title, and text. Authorization is attached to the article, and usually only the author can edit the article. It is like sharing a piece of paper in contrast to the storage of information in Wiki. In Wiki, there was no set format of information and any document could be written freely. Anyone could edit any document since there was no concept of authorization. However, when several authors edited the same documents, confusion occurred inevitably. Local rules were created to solve such confusion. For example, “one must leave one’s name at the end of a comment.” Gradually rules were created within Wiki, which was in a state of anarchy in the beginning. Rules of communication developed spontaneously among user relationships, and they seemed to have a similar structure to the development of patterns in architecture. Therefore, in this paper, rules of communication that arise in this manner are called “communication patterns.”Although the initial objective of Wiki was to collect patterns that were necessary to create information systems, it soon became a place of communication among people who were interested in patterns, a place to discuss the rules (communication patterns) of communication, and also a place to record and collect communication patterns that were generated spontaneously. Wiki developed as a place not merely for collecting patterns but a place with a higher-level function of collecting the rules for collecting information (communication patterns). The most important communication pattern in Wiki can be categorized into a thread mode and a document mode. The thread mode is a mode in which discussion is in progress using that page, and the user comments are presented in bulletin board form. In contrast, the document mode is a mode where only objective descriptions are presented on the page and subjective comments are excluded. In practice, most pages use a hybrid mode where objective descriptions are presented at the top of page and a discussion goes on in the lower part. Each page starts with a short document that describes the topic of the page, and comments on this topic are added in the thread mode. Individual differences are gradually absorbed as discussion progresses, and finally it grows into one objective statement (the document mode). It was expected that all pages would ultimately reach the document mode.Here, rather than setting rules and communicating along the set rules, the stance is emphasizing spontaneous rulemaking where the rules on how to carry on communication are decided through communication. This stance is the most distinct characteristic of Wiki. If the essence of Wiki’s design philosophy is described in one phrase, it is “emphasis on communication patterns.”4.1.3 Communication patterns in qwikWebInvestigating the design philosophy of qwikWeb based on Wiki’s design philosophy “communication patterns” which was restated in the previous section, it is a “system that enables the user to construct collaboration system appropriate for the group by combining various communication patterns.” Adding the user’s standpoint that it “can be used with current knowledge only, without explanation,” it is a web system where one can practice expandable communication pattern to gradually develop one’s ideal information environment, starting from a communication environment of e-mail that is very familiar.4.2 System design of qwikWeb4.2.1 Basic designConsidering “easy management,” “easy learning,” and (23)−
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